


The Sounds We Make (No One Listens Anyways)

by Krasimer



Series: Khdo Doo Zrxqgv dqg Qhyhu Edfn Grzq [4]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bad Decisions, Brothers, Gen, Graduation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4548684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krasimer/pseuds/Krasimer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Congratulations, son." came the voice of the principal, a hand extended to shake his, the other holding out his diploma. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you." he smiled as he shook Ford's hand, a plastered on grin aimed specifically towards the crowd in a manner meant to placate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sounds We Make (No One Listens Anyways)

"STANFORD PINES!"

The calling out of his name, amplified through the speakers, made something in his stomach twist. Acid climbed into his throat as he stood, dark blue robes swishing around his legs as he walked towards the stage and climbed the short set of stairs.

In the audience, training a camera towards the action, was Filbrick Pines, his father, the man who had-

"Congratulations, son." came the voice of the principal, a hand extended to shake his, the other holding out his diploma. "I'm sure your parents are very proud of you." he smiled as he shook Ford's hand, a plastered on grin aimed specifically towards the crowd in a manner meant to placate.

Anger burned in Ford's mind as he posed with the man, searching the sea of faces for one that he already knew wasn't going to be there. "Thank you, sir." he spoke quietly before striding off the stage and towards his seat with the rest of his graduating class. The air felt stifling and there was nothing he wanted more than to rip off his cap and gown and run screaming into the night, never to be seen again.

His breath caught for a second when the next name was called, a girl named "ELIZABETH RATCHSKY!" giddily headed for the stage.

He curled his hands into fists, tucking them between his knees to hide the extra digits as much as possible. There was someone missing, and as mad as he still was at his brother, this wasn't fair. Stanley had been kicked out before graduating, before their eighteenth birthday, before he'd even figured out that his dreams were impossible. Ford felt his eyes shifting, didn't look away when they settled on his dad.

The man had kicked a child out of his home.

Stanley had messed up, big-time and horrendously, but that wasn't cause to kick him out with no resources other than a half-broken-down car and a small bag of his personal belongings. If he could see his brother right now, if he could talk to him, Ford would...

What?

What was there that he could say to his brother, the one who shared his face and had always seen a future with them together, adventuring around the world? He'd stood by and been too angry to even speak to him as he'd been disowned and shoved away.

Some might call Filbrick Pines tough but fair, but Ford could only call him selfish.

He bit his bottom lip, ignoring the way that the boy sitting next to him was looking at him, an eyebrow raised. If he grew up to make a fortune, he'd keep it from his father. He'd send some to his mom, to the bank account he knew she was keeping on the side, but he wouldn't give a cent directly to his father. It had been two months and he still hadn't seen Stanley since the night he was kicked out, every trace of his twin seemingly wiped from existence except for what he had hidden carefully away.

Three days after Stan had left, Ford had come home from school only to find half of their bedroom stripped down and empty, only his belongings remaining.

A wave of applause drowned out his thoughts and he stood with the rest of his class, turning on cue and marching with the rest of them out of the gym. He tried to ignore the pounding of his heart, tried to tamp down on the burning sensation of held-back tears at the back of his eyes, but it was useless. His tears fell quietly, his bottom lip providing a muffler for the soft sobs coming out of his throat.

The Adventure Twins were no more, and it was likely that he would never see his brother again.

 

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

 

His jacket was doing kind of a shitty job of blocking out the tendrils of cold that were dragging at his back, but it was worth it.

Ford stood on the stage now, his hand clasped in the perpetually sweaty paw of the principal, and he looked uncomfortable. Large amounts of attention had always made him uneasy, and it seemed like graduation was no different. Stan smiled as his brother practically fled the stage, aiming for a seat among the crowd of their- His -classmates, scroll of paper clenched tightly in one of his hands.

When he spotted his parents, he was suddenly glad for the hood he wore, reaching up to pull it nervously closer to his face.

His dad's eyes and camera were trained on the son that hadn't disappointed him, but his mom turned her head and focused on him, her eyes innocently wide as she rocked Shermy in her arms. With a glance at her husband, she whispered something to him, then slid out of her seat, slinging a blue bag over her shoulder and picking her way out of the aisle. As she got closer, she leaned her head down to her youngest son, rubbing her nose against his, holding him out when she got close enough to Stan to speak to him. "I'm glad you could make it." 

"Hey ma." Stan muttered, taking Shermy from her and bouncing him softly in his arms. "Wouldn't miss this for the world."

She rolled her eyes, cuffing him upside the head before chuckling. "That's my boy." she leaned in to tug him down, pressing a small kiss to his forehead. Her hand lingered on his cheek, a frown on her face as she traced a finger over the sharp shape of his cheekbone. "Do you need more food? I could find a way to get you more."

Stan shook his head. "You're already doing so much for me, ma, you don't need to do any more. Besides," he hefted his little brother up, nuzzling Shermy's cheek and grinning. "This little guy's gonna need all the food he can get if he's anything like Ford and me were." he watched as her smile fell completely, her jaw moving in a way that meant she was chewing on the inside of her lip. "Ma-"

"Stanley Pines, you are my kid." she muttered, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. "I started to raise you and I'm not gonna stop until you're an adult, young man."

He nodded, sighing when Shermy squirmed and reached for his mother. "I should probably head out. My car's in the lot and both dad and Ford know it by sight, so I should probably get it out of there before they reach it and figure out that I snuck back in." he leaned down and kissed noisily at his brother's cheek, blowing a soft raspberry on it before settling him back against their mother's shoulder and tugging the hood of his sweatshirt tighter. "Love you, ma."

She followed him for a second, one hand on his shoulder. "I left a package of winter clothes in the bushes out back of the house, Stanley. I want you to grab them tonight, before you retreat back to where ever it is you been staying." 

Nodding and not saying a word, Stan headed out the door, letting it fall closed behind him as the applause started.

"I love you too, Stanley." she whispered at the closed door, bouncing Shermy on her hip.

 

Out in the parking lot, Stan pulled his keys out of his pocket, fiddling with them as he walked to his car.

The nights were getting colder, even though it was only June, and every part of him ached as he moved, his back the worst of it. Applause from the gym made him sigh, a few tears trailing down his face and blurring his vision as he leaned against the body of the car. "Well, Sixer, looks like you're gonna be okay." he cleared his throat, sliding into the driver's seat and hunching down in it as he slid the key into the ignition and waited, arms folded around him to conserve warmth. A bag of chips sat on the passenger seat, and he contemplated them briefly before shaking his head and looking away. 

Might as well save them for another time, like when he really needed to eat before he passed out.

The car was finally warm enough to drive and Stan pulled out of the parking lot, feeling as if he were leaving a part of himself behind. He only looked in the rearview once, and it was almost enough to make him sick, seeing all of his former classmates with their families, most of them smiling and laughing. Faintly, in the very back of the crowd, he could see Ford and their parents, his twin looking awkward and miserable, or so he thought.

Ford had just graduated with what Stan knew to be the highest grades in the last fifteen years of the school's history, there was no way he was upset about any of what happened tonight.

He certainly hadn't said anything when Stan was being kicked out.

Stan had waited at their spot a couple of times, but nothing had ever come of it, his brother had never showed and he'd never had the chance to apologize. "Guess some things are just meant to be how they are." he muttered, finally shaking the remaining view of the school as he turned a corner. If he were meant to never speak to his brother again, he was meant to never speak to his brother again, even if he hated it.

They had been born together, had shared a womb and a room and their faces were practically identical, and now it seemed as if they were supposed to just accept the divide.

It certainly seemed like Ford had.

He paused at the house, left the motor running as he slipped into the back and snagged the package his mom had left out for him. A jingling noise sounded as he plopped it onto the passenger seat, and he nearly started sobbing as he drove away, the tail-end of his car sweeping around a corner as the rest of the family came home.

When he was settled into the beach parking lot, he pulled the package into his lap, tugging carefully at the twine his mother had used to seal it shut.

On top was an envelope, her handwriting loopy and pretty, and when he opened it, several dollars in change came rolling out into his hand. Coming out slowly was another ten in bills, each one slightly crumpled like she had hidden them until there was enough for her to give him.

"Ma..." he whispered, clutching the envelope to his chest.

Curling over the wheel of his car, Stan fell asleep with tears on his cheeks and dreamt about being home again.

**Author's Note:**

> ...I'm just gonna leave this here.  
>  I swear, this 'verse will get happier eventually, I just have to write all the sadness out first.
> 
> Meanwhile, enjoy Stanford missing Stanley and making even more bad decisions.
> 
> (Born out of the "But what about our little free spirit, Stanley?" quote from Mama Pines in AToTSs.)


End file.
